Turkey Visa
 

Hi, my husband and I are traveling to Turkey to join a tour, in September. We know that it is possible to purchase the Turkish Visa at the airport, on arrival. Our TA gave us forms to use, if we wished to purchase one prior to our trip.

My questions: Are pictures needed for the Visa, when purchasing it in Turkey? Is there a lot of information which needs to be provided in order to purchase the Visa at the airport? Would it be appropriate to take the forms we have with us, if that amount of information is needed, rather than have to write it out when we arrive in IST?

Thanks for any and all info. Ciao! mhm

Mercy...

I was in IST last September and I can't remember if I filled out any forms, but I do remember it took me less then 5 minutes to have the visa put in my passport.

Maybe there was a form I filled out on the plane, but once I got off the plane, went directly to the Visa desk gave them my $20 and then went to immigration, got my passport stamped and was done.

Oh, and I didn't need any pictures.

LCI:Thanks for your response. That seems to answer my question. Have I seen your "handle" attached to trip reorts on Turkey (and Thailand?) Do you have any great tips for Turkey? Thailand can wait as a friend and I are not going there until February. Ciao! mhm

For passport holders of most countries ( including US ) no forms to fill out - no photo needed- - just go to the Visa windows just before the passport control - have exact cash money ready ( for US 20 dollars ) the clerk takes your money applies a stamp visa and you proceed to passport control.
The passport clerk will stamp your visa - when leaving vias is stamped again- very easy procedure but lines can be long depending on number of arriving flights-

Hi Mercy

I did do a report on my trip to Turkey last Sept/Oct. Here is the link:

http://tinyurl.com/5lvpjv

I havent' been to Thailand YET! It's on my ever growing list of places to see! :)

I enjoyed myself in Turkey. Which tour will you be on? I did the 12 day Rick Steves tour of Turkey and arrived a day before the tour started and went back to Istanbul after the tour ended for 4 more days.

Istanbul has so much to see and do. I was there a total of 7 days and there were still things I didn't get to do!

The people were very friendly and the food was very good. My suggestion is to be adventurous when eating!

To: LCI
My husband and I are taking a Globus tour to Turkey. We looked at almost every tour offered and he decided that Globus was the one he wanted to do. He is not as excited about tours as he used to be--he's 6'2 and riding on the busses with his long legs is a bit confining.

We had also considered a smarTour to Turkey, as we'd taken one last September, to Croatia and Slovenia. It was a great tour and we were very pleased with almost every aspect.

A friend and I are signed up for a smarTour to Thailand/Cambodia next February. On our Croatia trip last year, there were quite a few people who had done the Thailand one more than once, which seemed a good recommendation.

I had already viewed your trip report, earlier in my research and I think I printed it out, for some of its suggestions. We are going a day early to do some sight-seeing although we've been in IST for the better part of two days on a cruise in 1997--it's probably changed a bit. Also have some extra time after the tour gets back to IST before we go home--we've a long way to travel, as we are on the West Coast. Ciao. mhm

If you happen to be Canadian, the Visa costs about 90 dollars...I forget the exact amount. Apparently the high price for Canadians has to do with the CDN government's demands on Turkish visitors and also the fact that Canada tends to acknowledge Armenian claims of genocide.

Visa-at-border fees (official Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs site) valid throughout 2008:
http://www.mfa.gov.tr/visa-fees-at-b...or-2008.en.mfa

Canadian passport holders pay US$60 or 45 euro (cash only, exact amount; Cdn$ not accepted) at the border/arriving airport.
US - $20 or 15 euro
Australia - $20 or 15 euro
NZ, Japan, Germany, France, Switzerland etc - no visa needed, passport only
UK - £20, 15 euro or £10 (English banknotes only, not Scottish, NI)

No need to do a visa application before you go. You will see signs for the visa window (follow the crowd of folks off your flight). Pay the fee, the visa agent will put the visa in your passport (it's like a sticker!) Then get in the passport control line. It's VERY easy. No pictures needed. The form you are handed on the plane to fill out is for immigration/passport control. It has nothing to do with the visa they put in your passport.

Just remember, the VISA line FIRST.
Then the passport line.
So many get into the long long passport line first only to be turned back.
Problem is you have to pass by the passport line to get to the VISA line.
Have fun.